Delhi's government has announced a groundbreaking policy aimed at tackling the city's severe air pollution crisis, with plans to prohibit the sale of new petrol-powered two and three-wheeled vehicles. The initiative, hailed by some environmentalists as a "gamechanger," seeks to transition a significant portion of the capital's vast vehicle fleet to electric power by the end of the decade.
Under the new regulations, Delhi will issue new licence plates exclusively for electric small trucks and three-wheelers, known as e-rickshaws, from 2027. This will be followed by a similar restriction for e-scooters and electric motorbikes from 2028. The government's stated ambition is to achieve at least 30% electrification of Delhi's vehicle fleet by 2030, a move they believe will offer substantial environmental benefits as these are zero-emission vehicles.
Air pollution in Delhi consistently reaches levels deemed hazardous to human health, becoming an ongoing emergency linked to tens of thousands of deaths each year. Transport has been identified as a primary contributor, with vehicle emissions accounting for an average of 23% of airborne pollutants, particularly during the notorious winter months when dense smog frequently engulfs the city.
Scooters and rickshaws, predominantly running on petrol and compressed fossil gas, constitute over two-thirds of the millions of vehicles navigating Delhi's roads. Amit Bhatt, Managing Director of the International Council on Clean Transportation, underscored the potential impact, stating that accelerating their transition to zero-emission vehicles could "significantly reduce vehicular emissions, improve public health, and pave the way for a broader transition to zero-emission transport across all vehicle segments."
To support this ambitious shift, the Delhi government has pledged to establish more than 30,000 public charging points across the capital, addressing a key barrier that has previously deterred drivers from switching to electric models. The policy also introduces substantial exemptions on road and vehicle taxes for those purchasing new electric cars, aiming to incentivise a broader uptake of EVs. However, some critics have voiced concerns that the two-year timeframe for phasing out new petrol scooters and rickshaws might be too short to ensure sufficient consumer choice and infrastructure readiness.